THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Suntory

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Suntory Restaurant Review:

A full-scale refurbishment is promised for 2000, but already the bar and the classic restaurant have been made brighter by opening up the windows previously obscured by wooden panels. Service, too, has improved, displaying more skill and attentiveness, while remaining friendly and helpful. The food is reliable as ever and often inspired. Some recent experiences are as enjoyable as they are unusual. Roasted gingko nuts---a delightful nibble with a pre-dinner sake---look like tiny gull’s eggs, with white shells half broken away, and a soft ’nut’ with a subtle flavour and texture. The seasonal menu might offer persimmon and smoked salmon where small cubes of the under-ripe fruit with dice of the mild fish are lightly dressed with white sesame sauce in a pleasing ’fusion’ dish. Braised mooli is an inadequate name for a glorious nimono, a broth which also included fishcake, prawn and kabocha pumpkin. Boiled marinated abalone comes in its gleaming shell; and grilled lobster is precisely cooked. All the standards---sushi, sashimi, tempura, sukiyaki, shabu-shabu---are offered à la carte and in set menus from £53. Best value is at lunchtime with single dish meals from £11.50 for chicken teriyaki on rice with salad, miso soup and pickles. Set lunches from £11.50 ; set dinners from £54.